


Us and Other Wild Things

by bumblypuff



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Multi, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Wizarding Wars (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:40:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28757490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bumblypuff/pseuds/bumblypuff
Summary: The first wizarding war is at its peak and while hiding together at the Black family summer home on the desolate coast of Wales, tension brews between the three oldest friends.
Relationships: James Potter & Lily Evans Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Kudos: 6





	Us and Other Wild Things

The little house atop the hill wasn’t very large nor was it grand. It was a little grey cottage at the cliffs edge with violent sea clawing at its feet and wind making it shiver against the equally grey and grim sky that never shone a ray of sunshine in the year it was inhabited. Despite this, warm orange light spread within it every night and morning, and its wards, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter and Lily Evans were just as yellow within it as the daffodils that sprouted around it. Placing their hand on the silver knob, the front door creaked open revealing a young woman of twenty years of age in yellow dungarees and a frilled collar blouse topped with a large baby blue ribbon in a bow tied at her neck and a wicker basket in her hands. She made her way through the tall grass of the plane disappearing into it to twist and cut the stems of the yellow flowers, gently placing them into her basket. She was there for around half an hour picking flowers around the immediate area of the house, not daring to place a foot beyond the chipping painted fence of the home.

“Lily!” A voice called carried by the wind. Her head revealed itself from beneath the greenery. At the door was an average heighted male also of twenty with dark skin and chocolate brown hair that fell into perfect ringlets until they reached the top of the thick rimmed tortoise shell glasses on his nose. Sprouting up she revealed herself fully.

“I’m here!” She shouted back to him. Hand framing his eyes he squinted until he finally spied her. Closing the door behind him he jogged.

“Hey.” He greeted me.

“Hi.” The boy’s lips curled into a grin as she said this.

“Do you want me to take that for you?” He asked, pointing to the filled basket of flowers.

“I think I’m quite able to carry it myself.” She smirked, cocking her fiery red eyebrow.

“Oh, really!” he gasped. “At least let me walk you back to the house then.” His arm extended for her to take.

“If you must Mr Potter.” She jokingly curtsied before taking his arm and the two began to stroll through the sea of grass back to the cottage. Upon entering the pair took off their shoes revealing scared and cut feet.

“Can you get me the vases please.” Lily asked, her hand flesh on his chest.

“Of course.” He leaned down and pressed his lips against her cheek quickly before departing. Lily made her way to the kitchen, grabbing a large and horribly sharp pair of scissors hanging from the rack above the island. Taking the daffodils, her hands worked quickly in snipping the ends to equal size on each flower. The creaking signified that James had returned with a dozen vases of different sizes, designs and charm. “I got one from every room.”

“Perfect!” She smiled, finishing off her cutting work. “Is Sirius awake?”

“His room is empty, so I expect he’s gone down to the beach for a fag and a walk.”

“And Remus?”

“The Library. Having a fag.”

“James, we need to tell them.” Said Lily, rubbing her sticky hands into the fabric of her dungarees.

“Lils, can’t we wait?”

“No James. It’s cruel to not tell them any sooner.” She disciplined him.

“They’re not going to take it well.”

“Remus was never going to take it well James.” She stated, grabbing a vase, and placing it under the tap before twisting it to fill with water. “Sirius, well, we’ll see when we tell him.”

“Lily-“

“James.” She turned to face him fully, staring up at him through her eyelashes.

“Fine, we’ll tell them at dinner.” He sighed, giving in. Lily grabbed a bunch of flowers and placed them into the now filled pot.

“Good. Now put that in the library and tell Remus if he doesn’t come down for dinner, he’s not getting any, I’ll hex the cupboards.” James mockingly saluted her, saying a ‘yes, ma’am’ before grabbing the vase and disappearing. Lily’s lips dropped. Her hands busying themselves with potting flowers her mind was free to wander to the events of earlier that morning. The boys didn’t get back until six in the morning when the sun was rising, they had nothing but milk, butter and bread with them and Remus was the colour red. James and Sirius supported him until the exhaustion kicked in and they had to rest Remus on the floor of the entrance. Their hands tug and tore at his clothes to reveal a butchering of his flesh. Lily had gasped, tears brimming her eyes at the sight.

“Move over James!” Sirius had spat.

“You don’t know what you’re doing!” James bit back shoving.

“What do you think-“

“ITS WAS SEVERUS!” James screamed. Remus’ body had begun to convulse, moving up and down, his eyes dimming and mouth foaming. James’ hand pushed his body still and began speaking an unfamiliar incantation. Remus’ cuts began to fuse together with golden stitching and he finally stopped moving. James was there for minutes repeating it until every wound was shut tight. His wand dropped to the floor along with his body, his breath was the only noise in the room as tiredness overcame him.

“Remus.” Sirius’ voice half whispered and yelled. His black coat covered Remus’ bare body as his face rested in Sirius’ bloodied hands. Remus’ tanned fingers twisted around Sirius' stark white wrist. His eyes were shut tight.

A slam forcefully pulled Lily from her thoughts and a cloud of black flashed in her peripherals. His footsteps echoed through the house and the clattering and fidgeting soon followed. The tearing of pages was heard and finally the crackling of the fireplace. Grabbing a vase, Lily made her way to the living room. The man sat hunched over in the tall armchair in front of the French doors, a raven mop of hair concealing all his features despite the pinstripe trousers, crimson red socks, and pearly black shoes he wore. She placed the vase on the side table notably not on the side but behind the sofa. The contrast between the flowers and black stained room caused her face to shrivel. Her feet stuttered against the stained floorboards building their own courage to approach the chair containing the beast. She finally mustered it and crouched next to the arm of the chair.

“You couldn’t do anything to stop it.” She said attempting to sooth the worries she knew were nattering inside the boy’s head.

“You weren’t there Lily.” His words caused a fire to light within her exacting more anger than pity.

“You’re right Sirius I wasn’t.” She started, voice notably more raised than usual. “But what I do know is that Remus is fine, smoking cigarettes and reading books so why on earth dote on that.” Sirius’ face sulked under his hair, not liking being outsmarted. Instead, he pushed away from the chair in haste revealing his hollow features.

“You-“ He tensed, finger directed at her and chest puffed like a proud puppy. But he released and gave in, leaving the room and storming up the stairs presumably to the Library.

“Someone’s in a mood.” Said James and Sirius’ shoved past him in the corridor, his mouth cringing.

“Tell your girlfriend to stop being right.” Sirius responded coolly, disappearing above.

“What happened there?”

“He’s blaming himself.” Lily sat back on the chair, her teeth pulling at her fingernails.

“I don’t know what it is-“ James started. “He’s just become sensitive lately, like the last cycle when we had that fight.”

“He’s just protective I guess.”

“Remus is a big boy Lily; he can look after himself.” James’ hand stretched out to the golden handle of the French door, pushing it down and opening the door ajar. “It’s something else.” Lily fidgeted more scratching at the floral fabric of the chair. A moment of silence settled suffocating the atmosphere. Lily gave in first, leaping from the chair and disappearing down the hall once more. James’ eyes didn’t dare wander from the crashing, sludgy sea bellow focusing entirely on the cycle of the water, rising, moving, and finally catapulting into rocks.

There were hours of quiet in the little grey cottage, the friends split into their own domains. Lily was a slave to the kitchen in that moment, trying to conger a meal out of the scraps of the morning. James in the garden laboured, ploughing grass in some attempt to organise a plantation of sorts. Sirius and Remus, however, lingered together in silence. Books scattered and pulled from the library shelves as a dishevelled Remus craned over them searching for something but not anything in particular. Sirius carved into the mantle of the cold, dark fireplace. It wasn’t until six pm at the earliest the household was called to the front room, a bubbling hot pot of vegetable stew in the centre. James came in, washed his hands, and beat both of the others to the table, next was Sirius, just as gaunt as before. A sinking pit ripped its way through Lily's heart, she wanted him here. The three waited, spoons seemingly repelled by the filled bowls. Just as their patience tethered the tall boy emerged in the doorway. His strawberry blonde curls blinded his eyes except from the nearly purple bags that swooped below them. His lips were dry and cut with three long face length scars swiping across them. His clothes were dishevelled, a green knitted jumper over a noticeably buttoned wrong floral shirt, his trousers were creased and plaid. “You alright mate?” James greeted. Remus mumbled a response something along the lines of ‘yeah’ before reaching for the ladle, filling his bowl sitting beside Lily. It was all wrong, the silence. Normally the table was filled with warmth and laugher, the room glowing with it to the point it could touch hot. Now it was blue and grey and green, a blanket of ice embracing each person seated. Lily fidgeted, uncomfortable with the pressure, cracking to the point she may burst and burn or shatter into a thousand shards. James was as tight as a wound rope, his lips smouldering and foot tapping metronomically to the time of impatience and frustration. Sirius looked shriveled, like a sulking child, while Remus acted coolly seemingly unaware of the blizzard between them. Lily finished her meal first, the crash of her spoon against the bowl being the loudest noise made in the eternal quarter of an hour. She raised the tea towel to her lips whipping away any residue, James’ eyes tracked her movements. She waddled for a moment in her seat, trying to compose herself. No one spoke.

“I’m pregnant.”

All the spoons dropped to their bowls. Sirius fell back into his chair, head craning back and sighing, James froze still and finally the ripping sound of a chair against the floor signified the disappearance of Remus Lupin.

“Brilliant.” Sirius spoke. Lily didn’t care for it, discarding the flannel in her hands she threw it aside onto the table running out after him. He was in the garden, back to the house.

“Remus.” She called. He didn’t reply. “Remus Lupin.” He still didn’t move. “Remus you look at me right now!” She pleaded. This time he turned to face her, nothing but disdain across his face. “Don’t look at me like that.” Her head shook.

“Like what.” Remus’ words were bitter.

“Like you’re mad at me.”

“I am mad actually Lily!” He stated. “I told you, the minute we step foot in this bastard house to be careful!” He stormed towards her.

“And I told you I’d try!” She spat back to him. Remus pulled away, composing himself.

“So, what are you going to do now huh? Try and stay alive when you're pregnant and starving. We haven’t got enough food to feed us now let alone that thing!” Lily clenched her jaw. “And if you manage to do that then what are you going to do? Raise it here, while death eaters could find us any minute? Kill you, James, all of us!” Lily didn’t speak, she only grew redder. “Exact-“ Her hand rose and struck the boy's scarred cheek.

“You bastard! How dare you think I would opt for this, and you! You of all people, my closest dearest friend should support me the most instead you’re cursing me out like i’m some buffoon.”

“Because you are a buffoon, if you thought this could happen you and James shouldn’t have gone near each other.” It was at this moment the two other heads had made their way to the front window, the stern hand of Sirius pulling James by the shoulder.

“Let them blow it out.” Commanded Sirius.

“You’ve never known love Remus, have you? If you did you know that would be impossible in times like this. Life is dark and cold, and you damn me, discipline me for clinging onto the warmth.”

“Don’t talk to me about love Lily-“

“Oh, I’ll talk to you about love Remus, I see the way you look at him.” She started. “You know how hard it is but because you refuse to accept it yourself you refuse to accept anyone else’s love, because you’re in denial, and you’ll deny them also because you can’t accept that you’re not in control.”

“I am in control.”

“No, you’re not, don’t lie to me.”

“This isn’t about me Lily?”

“Really, because you’re the only one making a fuss.”

“Because I’m not blinded!” James and Sirius had made their way to the open door now, spectating the verbal battle between the two.

“You know I wanted you to be a godfather, right?” Lily’s words weren’t as aggressive now, instead they were sad, disappointed.

“I don’t want to. I’m not caring for it when the unthinkable happens.” Remus turned away. A hot tear began to trickle downwards on Lily’s cheek. With a sob, she made hast, turning her back on whom she once called her closest, dearest friend into the house. James greeted her in his arms, taking her shattered frame into the living room. Sirius now stood alone statues in the doorway, his eyes with a firm grip on Remus’.

“You’re a right prick, you know that?” And with a final green look he turned his back on him leaving Remus alone in the green sea of grass, now devoid of any yellow flowers. 


End file.
